Meat-block clamp.



P. J. STAAB.

MEAT BLOCK CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. i, me.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

PETER- J. STAAB, 0F STUT'IGART, ARKANSAS.

MEAT-BLOCK CLAMP.

recaeoe.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @a. 24, rain.

Application filed March 1, 1916. Serial No. 81,505.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, PETER J. STAAB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stuttgart, in the county of Arkansas and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Meat-Block Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a clamp which may be attached to meat blocks and which when applied thereto enables a piece of meat to be held firmly upon the block so that the same can be sliced in a convenient and safe manner.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clamp of this character having a support for connection with a meat block and upon which is slidably mounted a sleeve provided with an adjustable holding arm and engageable with a yoke carried by the support and adapted when manually operated to firmly engage the holding arm with the meat upon the block.

Another object of the invention is to provide the support which carries the sleeve having the holding arm with teeth which may be engaged with a shaft carried by the yoke and provided with arms having cam heads, whereby through the coaction of the shaft and teeth the cam heads may be engaged with the sleeve to cause the holding arm to firmly engage a piece of meat to be sliced.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the support with clamping jaws, one of which is adjustably connected with the support so that the device may be connected with a meat block or a table, thus adapting the device for use in the household.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, although no restriction is made to the precise details of construction therein shown, as changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a meat block showing the improved clamp applied thereto and the holding arm of the device engaged with a piece of meat which is indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved clamp removed from the block to show the same on a larger scale and with the yoke disengaged from the sleeve which carries the holding arm. Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse sectional view on the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference denote cor-' responding parts throughout the several views. 7

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 1 designates a meat block of the usual construction having supporting legs 2.

The improved clamp comprises a strip of material 3 which is bent to form a channeled support 1 U-shaped in cross section and has secured to the lower end thereof a head 5, said head extending laterally beyond one side of the support and provided with a threaded opening 6. The head 5 is provided at one end with an opening 7 which receives the lower end of the support 4- to which the head 5 is adjustably connected by means of screws 8 passing through the head and through openings 9 in the side walls of the support l.

A clamping jaw 10 has a reduced portion secured between the side walls 11 of the support 1 above the extending portion of the head 5, said head being provided with a screw 12 threadedly engaged with the opening 6 in the head and provided upon its lower end with an arm 13 to which is connected a handle 14, so that when the screw is rotated a meat block or other support may be clamped between the jaw 10 and the upper end of the screw 12, thus securing the clamp to a meat block.

The side walls 11 above the stationary clamping jaw 10 are provided on their free edges with spaced teeth 15, and loosely en circling the support above the clamping jaw 10 is a sleeve 16, said sleeve having projecting laterally from one side thereof spaced ears 17 between which is mounted the reduced end of an arcuate holding arm 18, said arm being U-shaped in cross section and provided upon its free edges with spaced teeth 19.

A clamping element 20 passes through openings in the ears 17 and through the reduced end of the holding arm, so that the 7 between the spaced sides clamping element may be adjusted to permit swinging movement of the holding arm 18.

A U-shaped yoke 21 has the spaced sides thereof arranged upon opposite sides of the support 4 above the sleeve 16, while the connecting portion of the yoke is provided with a handle 22. The free ends of the sides of the yoke are provided with cam heads 23' between which is'interposed a shaft 24, said shaft being engageable with the teeth 15 on the spaced sides'll of the support 4.

With reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will be noted that the reduced end 25 on the clamping jaw 10, which is interposed '11 of the support 4, and. a tongue arranged ina similar manner on the head 5 maintain the sides 11 in spaced relation, so that the support 4 is materially strengthened throughout its length.

When it is desired to connect the support with the meat block, the head 5, if necessary, is adjusted upon the support 4 by means of the screws 8 and the handle 14 manipulated to cause the head on the screw 12 to contact with the underside of the block which is positioned between the screw 12 and stationary clamping jaw '10. The handle 22 on the yoke 21 is moved in an upward direction so that the shaft 24 may be removed from engagement with the teeth 15 on the sides 11. This permits the yoke and sleeve 16 to be moved in a vertical direction on the support 4 until the holding arm 18 is raised above the block 1 a suflicient distance to permit the piece of meat to be sliced to be positioned between the arm and the block. The shaft is now engaged with 'the teeth 15 and the handle 22 moved in a downward direction to cause the cam heads 23 to contact with the sleeve 16 and force the teeth on into the meat to be sliced.

the holding arm 18' When it is found necessary to adjust the holding arm this may be accomplished by the fastening element 20. It is, of course, to be understood that this is preferably done after the sleeve 16 has been adjusted upon the support 4 and before the handle 22 has been moved in a downward direction to engage the holding arm firmly with the meat.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is at once apparent that a clamp has been provided having an adjustable support provided with an adjustable sleeve having connected therewith an adjustable holding arm which may be firmly engaged with a piece of meat to be sliced by means of the yoke upon the support, thus providing a device of the character described which is simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and highly efiicient in use.

Having thus described the what is claimed as new, is:

A meat clamp comprising a support channeled throughout its length to provide spaced sides, alined teeth on the free edges of said sides, means connecting said support to a meat block, a sleeve receiving said support above said means and provided with spaced ears, a holding arm mounted to turn between said ears, a yoke on said support above said sleeve and provided with cam heads, and a shaft disposed between said heads and engageable with said teeth to hold said heads in contact with said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix in presence of two witnesses.

PETER J. STAAB.

invention,

my signature Vitnesses CARLE'roN H. DENSROW, JOHN M. ELLIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C." 

